1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of electrical connectors, and more particularly to a socket connector for electrically bridging two electrical interfaces such as an integrated circuit (IC) package and a printed circuit board (PCB).
2. Background of the Invention
Socket connectors are widely used to electrically interconnect two electrical interfaces such as an electrical substrate, e.g. a PCB and an integrated circuit (IC) package, e.g. a central processing unit (CPU).
FIGS. 8 and 9 show a typical socket connector 9 for electrically bridge a PCB 7 and an IC package 8. The connector 9 includes a dielectric base 91 and terminals 92 planted in corresponding passageways 911 of the base 91. Each terminal 92 has a retention portion 923 and first and second resilient arms 921, 922 joint two opposite sides of the retention portion 923. The first arm 921 extends outside an upper surface 912 of the base 91 and is compressed to engage a corresponding pad 80 of the IC package 8. The second arm 922 extends beyond a lower surface 913 of the base 91, and is pressed to mate with a corresponding pad 71 of the PCB 7.
Before insertion of the terminal 92 into the base 91, one end of the retention portion 923 of the terminal 92 is attached to a contact strip (not shown). After said insertion, the terminal 92 is cut off from the contact strip, the attached end (not numbered) of the retention portion 923 exposing outside the passageway 911. A pressing tool (not shown) is applied to push the attached end of the retention portion 923, thereby to queen the retention portion 923 of the terminal 92 into the passageway 91.
However, in most cases, after being pressed or pushed, the attached end of the terminal 92 may still projects beyond the upper surface 911 from the passageway 911 or at most flushes with the upper surface 911. Consequently, after the IC package is pressed to mate with the socket connector, the pad 81 of the IC package 8 is prone to electrically touch with the attached end of an adjacent terminal 92, specifically when the pad 81 has a relatively larger bottom mating face to fully engage with the first arm 921. If this happens, a short circuit occurs between the two adjacent terminals 92. This can effect, or even destroy effective electrical connecting performance of the socket connector 9.
What is needed, thereby, is a new socket connector that can secure reliable electrical interconnecting.